Isekai anime is famous for its recurring tropes. These include “Truck-kun,” the truck that often causes the protagonist’s reincarnation; the acquisition of “Cheat Skills” that make them overpowered; and their frequent reincarnation as non-human beings, like in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Merchandise celebrating these tropes can be found on Japanese websites using Onemall.jp.
Every great genre has its own language, a set of shared ideas and recurring themes that fans instantly recognize and love. For Isekai, these “tropes” are the lifeblood of the genre. They are the familiar, comforting, and often hilarious building blocks that make these “other world” adventures so much fun.
Let’s take a look at some of the most famous and beloved tropes that define the world of Isekai.
The Gatekeeper: Truck-kun
It’s the most famous running gag in all of anime. How does our ordinary protagonist get to the new world? More often than not, by meeting a swift and untimely end at the hands of a speeding truck. This anonymous, world-changing vehicle has become so iconic that fans have affectionately nicknamed it “Truck-kun.” It has become the unofficial, and often darkly comedic, ferryman to a new life of adventure.
The Gift of Power: Cheat Skills
Upon arriving in the new world, the protagonist is almost never left empty-handed. A benevolent (and often ditzy) goddess usually appears to grant them a special power, or “cheat skill.” This skill is almost always ridiculously overpowered.
- Examples:
- The ability to understand any language.
- An “appraisal” skill that works like a video game inspection tool.
- The power to tame any monster.
- Infinite inventory space.
This cheat skill is the key that allows our hero to quickly rise from a nobody into a force to be reckoned with.
The Unlikely Hero: Reincarnation as a “Thing”
One of the most creative trends in modern Isekai is having the protagonist be reincarnated as something other than a human hero. This forces them to use their wits and unique abilities to survive and thrive.
- That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: The series that perfected this trope. The hero becomes a lowly slime, but with the “Predator” skill, he can absorb the powers of anything he consumes, eventually becoming one of the most powerful beings in the world.
- Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon: Exactly what it sounds like. The hero can only communicate with pre-recorded phrases like “Welcome!” but can dispense any item he owned in his past life, making him the ultimate dungeon support character.
- So I’m a Spider, So What?: A high school girl is reborn as a weak spider monster in a massive labyrinth and must evolve to survive.
Bringing the Tropes Home
The love for these tropes extends to the merchandise. You can find countless figures of Rimuru in his slime form, or even keychains and T-shirts featuring the infamous “Truck-kun.”
The best place to find this kind of meta, fan-centric merchandise is on Japanese marketplaces like Mercari Japan. These are the places where the true fans trade. To access this treasure trove of in-jokes and beloved characters, a proxy service like Onemall.jp is your best friend. You find the item that celebrates your favorite trope, paste the link into Onemall.jp, and they handle the rest.
These tropes are the heart and soul of Isekai. They are the shared jokes and epic moments that bring the community together, one “other world” adventure at a time.